History UsefulNotes / AnneOfCleves

Thomas Cromwell, the King's chief minister, arranged for a marriage alliance between England and Cleves (a mostly Lutheran state in Germany which supported the reformation), and suggested Anne as a potential bride for Henry. The marriage would provide an alliance with the Protestant German states, as well as a way for Henry to gain another male heir. Henry sent Hans Holbein, a famous artist, to paint portraits of Anne and her younger sister Amelia. Hans Holbein was instructed to be as accurate as possible and that he could not change anything to flatter the sisters (ironic seeing as by this point Henry’s portraits were very much not faithful to his real appearance).

Henry agreed to the marriage without ever having met Anne in person as he was besotted with her portrait, and she arrived in England in December 1539. Anne’s mother was not happy letting her daughter move to another country even though she was 25, but could not stop it as Henry paid Anne’s brother (the new Duke of Cleves) 100, 000 gold coins. The first meeting between the couple was a disaster. Henry tried to surprise Anne by disguising himself as a peasant, believing that she’d fall in love with him instantly. But when the sheltered Anne was shocked rather than lovestruck with the old, obese, badly dressed stranger who burst in and attempted to kiss her, Henry felt humiliated. Henry claimed that it was Anne who was ugly and that he considered her too ugly to marry, saying “I like her not” and even calling her the "Flanders Mare." Despite this, it does seem Henry was the only person to think that (if he ever did). Anne was said to actually look very similar to her portrait according to advisors. She was said to be tall, slim and Blonde. In fact, judging by the fact that before she unintentionally humiliated him, Henry was seemingly attracted to her before seeing as he attempted to kiss her, before she began cussing at him in German. It’s also important to remember that Anne was a sheltered 25 year old woman while Henry was a three-times married 48 year old. The couple could not communicate either as Anne only spoke German. Despite this, the marriage went ahead, and the couple were married on January 6, 1540. Thomas Cromwell was beheaded over the embarrassing marriage using trumped up charges of treason.

In 1539, Henry VIII was seeking a new wife after his marriage to his third wife, UsefulNotes/{{Jane Seymour|Royalty}}, had ended with her death. He had spent a couple of years mourning Jane’s death, however he only had one son, UsefulNotes/EdwardVI and child mortality was high at the time. Henry himself had been the second son of his father and was never expected to rule England, but his elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died unexpectedly of the swearing sickness. As such, Henry knew the importance of a spare. But unsurprisingly, foreign Princesses were not competing to marry the King. He had annulled his first marriage to UselfulNotes/CatherineofAragon for failing to deliver a son, and beheaded his second wife, UsefulNotes/AnneBoleyn for the same reason (as well as accusing her of adultery, incest and treason). One candidate for Queen, Christina of Denmark (who ended up marrying Anne’s childhood Fiancé) said “If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal.”

In 1539, Henry VIII was seeking a new wife after his marriage to his third wife, UsefulNotes/{{Jane Seymour|Royalty}}, had ended with her death. He had spent a couple of years mourning Jane’s death, however he only had one son, UsefulNotes/EdwardVI and child mortality was high at the time. Henry himself had been the second son of his father and was never expected to rule England, but his elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died unexpectedly of the swearing sickness. As such, Henry knew the importance of a spare. But unsurprisingly, foreign Princesses were not competing to marry the King. He had annulled his first marriage to UselfulNotes/CatherineOfAragon for failing to deliver a son, and beheaded his second wife, UsefulNotes/AnneBoleyn for the same reason (as well as accusing her of adultery, incest and treason). One candidate for Queen, Christina of Denmark (who ended up marrying Anne’s childhood Fiancé) said “If I had two heads, one should be at the King of England's disposal.”

She was born on September 22, 1515, in Düsseldorf, in the Duchy of Cleves, which is now part of Germany. Anne was the daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, and his wife Maria of Jülich-Berg. Her father (though influenced by Erasmus) did support the reformation of the Church, however, Anne and her sisters had a Catholic upbringing as her mother was a strict Catholic. Despite this, Anne’s older sister, Sibylle, and her younger brother, William, became Lutherans as adults. Anne also became a Lutheran upon being betrothed to the Protestant King Henry VIII.

Henry agreed to the marriage without ever having met Anne in person, and she arrived in England in December 1539. Henry tried to surprise Anne by disguising himself as a peasant, believing that she’d fall in love with him instantly. But when the sheltered Anne was shocked rather than lovestruck with the old, obese, badly dressed stranger who burst in and attempted to kiss her, Henry felt humiliated. Henry claimed that it was Anne who was ugly and that he considered her too ugly to marry, saying “I like her not” and even calling her the "Flanders Mare." Despite this, it does seem Henry was the only person to think that (if he ever did). Anne was said to actually look very similar to her portrait according to advisors. She was said to be tall, slim and Blonde. In fact, judging by the fact that before she unintentionally humiliated him, Henry was seemingly attracted to her before. It’s also important to remember that Anne was a sheltered 25 year old woman while Henry was a three-times married 48 year old. Despite this, the marriage went ahead, and the couple were married on January 6, 1540. Thomas Cromwell would be beheaded over the embarrassing marriage using trumped up charges of treason.

The marriage was not consummated, and Henry soon sought to have it annulled. Anne was willing to agree to the annulment, as it would leave her a very wealthy woman with land and an estate in England, rather than having to return to Germany as a failure. The annulment was granted in July 1540, and Anne was given the title of "the King's Sister" and a generous settlement of lands and money.

Anne did not receive a brilliant education like her Fiancé’s first two wives. She could read and write a little and only in German. Instead of learning languages like other Foreign princesses, Anne’s mother made sure her daughters focused on studying strictly feminine skills, such as sewing. When Anne was 11 years old, she had been betrothed to the 9 year old Francis, the son and heir to Antoine, Duke of Lorraine. However, as Francis was under the age of consent in Tudor times (the age of consent for boys was fourteen and for girls twelve), the engagement was considered unofficial and was cancelled in 1535, when Anne was 19 and Francis 17.

In 1539, Henry VIII was seeking a new wife after his marriage to his third wife, [[{{UsefulNotes/Jane Seymour(royalty)}} Jane Seymour]], had ended with her death. He had spent a couple of years mourning Jane’s death, however he only had one son, UsefulNotes/EdwardVI and child mortality was high at the time. Henry himself had been the second son of his father and was never expected to rule England, but his elder brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died unexpectedly of the swearing sickness. As such, Henry knew the importance of a spare. But unsurprisingly, foreign Princesses were not competing to marry the King. He had annulled his first marriage to UselfulNotes/CatherineOfAragon for failing to deliver a son, and beheaded his second wife, UsefulNotes/AnneBoleyn for the same reason (as well as accusing her of adultery, incest and treason).

Thomas Cromwell, the King's chief minister, arranged for a marriage alliance between England and Cleves, and suggested Anne as a potential bride for Henry. The marriage would provide an alliance with the Protestant German states, as well as a way for Henry to gain a male heir.

In 1539, Henry VIII was seeking a new wife after his marriage to his third wife, Jane Seymour, had ended with her death. Thomas Cromwell, the King's chief minister, arranged for a marriage alliance between England and Cleves, and suggested Anne as a potential bride for Henry. The marriage would provide an alliance with the Protestant German states, as well as a way for Henry to gain a male heir.

She was born on September 22, 1515, in Düsseldorf, in the Duchy of Cleves, which is now part of Germany. Anne was the daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, and his wife Maria of Jülich-Berg.

->''"Anne of Cleves came as four. I fell for the portrait I saw. Then laid eyes on her face and cried, "She's a horse!I must have another divorce!""''

->''"Anne of Cleves came as four. I fell for the portrait I saw. Then laid on her face and cried, "She's a horse!I must have another divorce!""''

Henry agreed to the marriage without ever having met Anne in person, and she arrived in England in December 1539. Henry tried to surprise Anne by disguising himself as a peasant, much to the disgust of Anne. However, when Henry saw her in person, he was disappointed with her appearance and called her the "Flanders Mare." Despite this, the marriage went ahead, and the couple were married on January 6, 1540. Thomas Cromwell would be beheaded over the embarrassing marriage using trumped up charges of treason.

The marriage was not consummated, and Henry soon sought to have it annulled. Anne was willing to agree to the annulment, as it would allow her to keep her position as Queen and the financial settlement that came with it. The annulment was granted in July 1540, and Anne was given the title of "the King's Sister" and a generous settlement of lands and money.

Anne lived the rest of her life in England, and was regarded as a kind and generous woman. She became close to Henry's children, especially his daughter Elizabeth (who would later become UsefulNotes/ElizabethI), and was known for her support of Protestantism. She never remarried and died on July 16, 1557, at the age of 41, at her home in Chelsea.

* HistoricalBeautyUpgrade[=/=]HistoricalUglinessUpdate: Zig-Zagged. Some depictions portrayed her as ugly similar to how Henry described her, while others portray her as fairly pretty, often due to contemporaries from her time having different views of her appearance. One of the most well-known descriptions of her appearance comes from the Venetian ambassador, who wrote: "She is not very young, but of middle age, and of very good presence; her face is said to be rather long and melancholy, and her complexion sallow; but many say she has a very good look in her eyes, and that if she were dressed in the French fashion she would be thought very handsome; she enjoys good health, and is of middling stature."

[[caption-width-right:350:Don't judge a person by their potrait]]

Anne Of Cleves (22 September 1515 – 16 July 1557) was Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King UsefulNotes/HenryVIII.

!!Tropes associated with Anne Of Cleeves as portrayed in fiction:
* HistoricalBeautyUpgrade / HistoricalUglinessUpdate: Zig Zagged. Some depictions portrayed her as ugly similar to how Henry described her, while others portray her as fairly pretty, often due to contemporaries from her time having different views of her appearance. One of the most well-known descriptions of her appearance comes from the Venetian ambassador, who wrote: "She is not very young, but of middle age, and of very good presence; her face is said to be rather long and melancholy, and her complexion sallow; but many say she has a very good look in her eyes, and that if she were dressed in the French fashion she would be thought very handsome; she enjoys good health, and is of middling stature."

* StrongerThanTheyLook:Despite her status as a foreigner in a hostile court, Anne of Cleves is often depicted as surprisingly resilient and resourceful, able to navigate the complex political landscape of Tudor England and maintain her dignity in the face of adversity.

!!Portrayals of Anne Of Cleeves in fiction:
* Elsa Lanchester potrayed Anne in in The Private Life of Henry VIII(1933).
* Elvi Hale plays Anne in the episode Anne of Cleves in the 1971 television series The Six Wives of Henry VIII.
* Pia Girard plays Anne in the 2003 ITV series Henry VIII.
* Joss Stone plays Anne in the Showtime cable television series The Tudors.
* Rebecca Dyson-Smith portrays Anne in the BBC documentary mini-series Six Wives with Lucy Worsley.
* Is played by Genesis Lynea in ''Theatre/{{Six}}'' potrayed as a SassyBlackWoman.
* Anne's marriage to Henry is depicted in the British version of Series/DrunkHistory where Anne's played by a man.

* Is played by Genesis Lynea in Theater/{{Six}} potrayed as a SassyBlackWoman.

* HistoricalBeautyUpgrade/HistoricalUglinessUpgrade: Zig Zagged. Some depictions portrayed her as ugly similar to how Henry described her, while others portray her as fairly pretty. One of the most well-known descriptions of her appearance comes from the Venetian ambassador, who wrote: "She is not very young, but of middle age, and of very good presence; her face is said to be rather long and melancholy, and her complexion sallow; but many say she has a very good look in her eyes, and that if she were dressed in the French fashion she would be thought very handsome; she enjoys good health, and is of middling stature."